


The Guardian Star

by Soeko



Category: Purple Hyacinth - Ephemerys & Sophism (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Christmas Shopping, Cute Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Heartwarming, Heaven, I Love You, I Ship It, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Summaries, Ice Skating, Presents, Sad and Sweet, Santa's Elves, Sweet, Tags Are Hard, Wow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:35:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28374009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soeko/pseuds/Soeko
Summary: William was overwhelmed by pain and pressure but a miracle happened, all his fears were dispelled during a walk illuminated by the beauty of a solar empathy . Could the magic of Christmas really exist?
Relationships: William Hawkes & Kym Ladell, William Hawkes/Kym Ladell
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	The Guardian Star

**Author's Note:**

> I think it's the fanfiction I'm most proud of :') I'm really happy with the situations I've been able to find. This is for   
> @kymsfavorite_watermelon (here's her Instagram since she doesn't have an ao3 account) I was her Secret Santa :) 
> 
> If there's anything you didn't understand, don't hesitate to tell me! 
> 
> Enjoy (≧∇≦)/

The snow was falling in cascades onto the streets of Ardhalis. Everything was white, from the pavements to the roofs of the buildings. The footprints left by the pedestrians mixed and blended with each other, forming curved and rounded traces that the white material hastened to cover. The snowflakes swang, swirled, and performed a last dance under the orange light of the street lamps before meeting the ground, before passing away. The lights and warm glances that the passer-bys exchanged brought back a little warmth during these morbid times. Everybody was happy and radiated positivity exept for the less affluent neighbourhoods, and William. 

Indeed, William was not in awe of the Christmas spirit, he just wanted this evening to end as quickly as possible. His father had invited many important guests, but for William this was no honour. The young man studied his reflection in the mirror, he didn't know how he would survive the evening. It will be the first Christmas Eve without his mother, only his father, his poisonous words, and his guests who will watch the show, talk about their rich people problems and sell themselves imaginary feats.

Once again, William would be put in competition with the other sons of the guests, he would be compared, judged and criticized. He would be trapped between all these snakes, with no way out.

.・゜゜・

Leave fast, faster. Was the one and only wish William had at that moment. As he had predicted, his father had not refrained from making hurtful remarks, from sticking spikes of contempt into his skin.

He opened the door from the outside with a flick of his wrist and his body craved fresh air. Shame began to leave him little by little. He would never have come to the manor, he didn't even know why he was trying so hard when he was only given demeaning labels. He wanted just once, just once in his life to spend a Christmas Eve night quietly, without being a freak. He wanted to experience the excitement of knowing what a gift contains, he wanted to know about a loving family, he wanted to know about unforgettable family meals around a table full of pastries and hot chestnuts.

But this was not the case, so he was destined to be a slave to misfortune. The icy flakes settled on his golden hair as if they shared his sorrow. He walked down the street, dragging his feet, his head down. Running away seemed the most attractive option, a nocturnal exile during the night that was supposed to make every face sparkle. 

A familiar scream of surprise drew the lieutenant out of his overwhelming siphon of hateful thoughts. He had no time to turn around when a hand was placed on his shoulder. 

"What are you doing out there all alone Willame? "

Their eyes met like the foam of the ocean met the fine sand. 

"The real question is rather what are you doing out there all alone?"

Kym, seeing that the young man was definitely not interested in discussing what had happened a short time before and knowing how hard this Christmas must be  
hard for him, even unbearable, she didn't insist. She preferred to answer his question :

"Well, to be honest, I think we're both alone spending Christmas, my parents had the opportunity to spend it with old friends but I wanted to stay here so as not to spoil their reunion".

"Well I guess that make us two lonely people on a winter's night, dear sergeant."

"Yes, but you see, my lieutenant, I can't afford to leave you alone with your nostalgia that might eat away at your good mood !"

She paused very briefly and then snapped her fingers when an idea crossed her mind. 

"Willame would you do me the honour of coming with me to the Christmas market that has been set up in the main square? "

The lieutenant smiled, touched by this kind proposal. 

"I will only go if you promise to behave properly! "

Kym pretended to look outraged by forcing her expression. 

"I would never dare to make this affront to you my lieutenant! "

William let out a small laugh, a melody for the ears. He pointed his bent arm in her direction, and she grasped it without hesitation.

.・゜゜・

They landed in a colony of small chalet-shaped stands all pretty and well decorated with bright red balls, golden, reflective garlands, and colour-changing lights. Each stand was unique, some selling sweets, others selling decorations for fir trees. Some had tea from foreign regions that smelled of the festive season, and some simply showed off their art, small craft creations ranging from necklaces to pottery. 

They greeted the officers who were watching the surroundings and passed the wooden arch scattered with holly that announced the entrance to the market. 

Kym couldn't wait, as excited as a child, she couldn't think straight. Her eyes reflected sparkling explosions of fir green and royal red. William grabbed her by the sleeve before she went off like a rocket to stuff herself and buy trinkets that would never do her any good. 

"Kym, I warn you, we're not going to stay here forever. Stay close to me, it's crowded, believe me I'd like you to get lost but I need someone to do the paperwork."

The woman with indigo hair nodded her head at length with a smile that reflected pure satisfaction up to her ears and performed a military salute. She walked towards a craftsman who was melting wax to make a bird-shaped candle when suddenly her eyes were drawn to something else, a hut beautifully decorated with glittering pine cones, shiny flakes of different designs, and a Nutcracker placed on the edge of one of the windows. It was the only hut among all these stands, a silver sign with refined writing was hung on the door. Kym shouted with excitement, grabbed William by the arm, and rushed to the entrance of the hut to make him read the sign. 

"Look Willame look! We can take pictures with the Christmas elves! Let's enter! Please! "

William didn't have time to protest when he found himself next to an elf dressed in bright green with red striped high socks. Kym shuddered with happiness when they offered her an emerald beanie with two soft white stripes and a bell at the tip that fell to her ear. William wanted to politely refuse the offer but three elves looked angry and gave him a vermilion red hat with a straight point and woolen elf ears sewn on each side. William's expression reflected the deepest despair and remorse at having followed Kym in her idea. Kym friendly elbowed him in the ribs and said sarcastically:

"Don't look so surprised, William! Look at this! There are no barriers, no limits! Let yourself be carried away a little. No one's going to care. Have fun!"

Seeing that he didn't seem more convinced she turned completely towards him so that their eyes met and she continued in a calmer voice. 

"You're not a lieutenant tonight, you're not the one who has to be perfect, you're the one you want to be, it's just you and me, okay? "

William's face was lit by a grateful smile and he nodded his head. Two elves came to his right and one to Kym's left. 

.・゜゜・

They each took a copy of the photo, they were not perfect, Kym closed her eyes and half of William's hat did not appear but it didn't matter, they could feel the magic stinging in their fingers as they grabbed it, just by looking at it they breathed in a breath of joy that warmed their chests. Kym's smile was so sincere, she looked like a child who had just received the gift of her dreams. William, on the other hand, was relaxed, his little cornered smile gave him a masterful charm and his eyes, which earlier had been dull with sorrow and coloured with suffering, shone like aquamarine exposed to the sun's rays. 

They arrived close to the alley where the local chocolate and pastry makers and those from other regions had set up shop. Kym's sense of smell was fogged by the fragances of thousands of over-crusted delicacies : fruit pastes, cinnamon, reindeer-shaped chocolates, biscuits with pastel icing and many more. 

Kym's belly was put to the test and it soon made it clear with a muffled gurgling. William gave her a mocking look and offered to go and buy them wafers rolled into a cone shape with whipped cream and melting chocolate inside. Kym could only accept. 

She seemed far too hypnotised by the glass decorator in front of her to accompany him, so William reminded her for the umpteenth time to stay in front of the stand and that he would join her soon. William walked away, watching her out of the corner of his eye until the crowd cut off his vision of the young lady.

On the way, he saw a woman carving fir wood for hanging decorations. She was cutting, trimming, smoothing in a concentration of lead and impressive accuracy. No scarf, no defect, the wood was polished with tenderness and carved with precision. She was varnishing a cat's head and added a golden thread so that it could be hung easily and she put it next to other creations. William waited patiently for his turn, so that he could approach the saleswoman because an idea had come to his mind. 

.・゜゜・

William stood in line in front of the wafer stand, waiting for the women to realise what he had asked her to do. The smell of chocolate enveloped him in a soft and comfortable atmosphere that he would never want to leave. His turn came and the pastry chef asked him if he wanted vanilla ice cream. His heart stopped, vanilla was her favourite flavor, what she added to each of her cakes, she even had perfumes, it was the one she wore when he joined the police force. 

The bubble that was so pleasant at first became suffocating, disgusting. With each breath, imaginary perfumes of camomile and vanilla burned and scorched his entire esophagus. The worried voice of the man in front of him drew William out of his melancholy madness. 

"Sir, is everything all right ? You look extremely pale"

William pulled himself together and apologized for his moment of absence and chose two chocolate waffles, without vanilla because he knew. He clearly knew that his eyes could not hold back, that they would betray him, he knew that his features would take on a form of uncontrollable despair.

.・゜゜・

William joined Kym after discreetly slipping the small cardboard package containing his order from the booth he had noticed earlier. Kym was still in front of the glassmaker's booth, she was on her way to meet William when she saw him struggling to get to her. She slipped in between the pedestrians and grabbed the gluttony intended for her in a lightning-fast movement. 

"My stomach thanks you for your heroic act Willame. It's still a shame that there are no watermelons in winter..."

William, still shaken by his moment of weakness, only rolled his eyes to heaven. Kym took a bite out of the wafer and groaned in surprise when an astonishing amount of hot chocolate rushed into her mouth and burned her tongue. 

William couldn't help but laugh out loud when he saw Kym's face in disbelief, with chocolate all around her mouth as she tried somehow to swallow the bite she had taken by making large jaw movements to chew. She wanted to wipe the corners of her mouth with her hands, but she only got worse and spread the chocolate on her face and palms.

William quickly grabbed one of the paper towels that was wrapped around his cone, Kym reached out with her arms facing him with her palms pointing upwards so he could wipe it off. He gently took Kym's right wrist between his index finger and thumb and gently passed the towel over her brown smeared palm and did the same with her second hand. Mockingly he asked:

"Would you like me to wipe your mouth too, clumsy lady?"

Kym, without a word, stood on tiptoes to rip the towel from his hands but the lieutenant had anticipated the movement and raised his arm which was then out of Kym's reach. Kym went into a state of self-abasement:

"That's not fair! I already have no taste because of this hot chocolate, don't take away my autonomy! "

"Stop gesticulating, you're being ridiculous. Let me do it. "

Kym folded her arms across her chest and looked upset, she knew that he liked to bother her, and seeing the state in which she had found him in front of his father's mansion, she let herself be pampered like a child.William didn't let go of his grip on the young woman's left wrist and came put his thumb on her chin and lifted her head slightly. Then he lowered his outstretched arm holding the towel to meticulously pass it over her lower face. 

His fingers lingered on her lips and corners, peach-colored lips, trembling in the icy wind, a touch of summer in this harsh winter days, a fireworks display tearing the sky, an oasis in the middle of the desert. William cleared his throat before removing the last chocolate stain and Kym thanked him slightly troubled. Having noticed that he had just created a rather uncomfortable atmosphere, William tried to relax it:

"You finish the rest of the waffle and then I'll take you home".

Kym shook her head in disagreement but William did not react. 

.・゜゜・

Once their sweets had been digested, Kym and William were on their way to the exit when suddenly Kym grabbed William's sleeve again. 

"Don't tell me you've found something again-"

Kym did not respond and was content to drag him towards her goal. Once some people strayed from the path, William finally perceived what Kym had noticed. In front of him, adults and children were sliding on a ice rink that had been set up, the ice reflected all the illuminations. 

Even though some people were falling or clinging to everything they could, there was no denying the fact that they seemed to be enchanted with happiness. William looked at Kym for a long time and had the misfortune to come across this immense dune on which he is destined to be in exile for eternity, this so pleasant beige derivative that lulls and appeases his heavy thoughts, he knew that in these eyes of such beauty he couldn't refuse anything.

.・゜゜・

Kym, in a burst of courage, stepped away from the frosted metal bar and hurled herself onto the ice, advancing with her feet parallel and her arms apart for balance. William was having a little more trouble, his feet were starting to slip and his hands were still clinging together, which put him in a complicated situation. The young woman mocked him gently, approached him to help him relax because for the moment, the muscles of the young man were very tense which would surely cause aches and pains the next day. 

Kym took his forearms just before the limit of the elbow which put them in a more intimate position, imposing a much too great proximity. Kym ignored her heart which was drumming in her rib cage as if she had just run thousands of miles. 

"It looks like it's your turn to be treated like a child."

Kym let herself slide quietly, with her back to the track, taking William with her. Her gestures were not awkward or abrupt, she adapted to his rhythm and tightened her grip on his arm when William drifted dangerously. Her touch was reassuring, her movements were slow, fluid. William felt a sense of freedom he hadn't tasted in a very long time. The sun had regained its rays that helped him shine, the sun was performing a waltz illuminated by the magic of Christmas and maybe another one, but the sun wouldn't admit it. 

Kym observed that the young man had relaxed, so she was about to let go of him when suddenly, by mistake, her foot slipped and she fell, taking William with her. 

She landed on the side of her right thigh. William had a chance to react and had slowed his fall by falling onto his knees.  
They both looked at each other confused and then it only took a spark, a tangle between the blue of the huge ocean and the eternal sandstorm for the sun to laugh out loud. Two united voices, the loneliest in the world and the one that keeps on pretending. They sat and laughed until one of the managers came to warn them that they were in the way. 

William left the cold ground and helped Kym get up. 

"Thank you for this great moment sergeant. But it's getting late and I'd like to go home. Your company is not so unpleasant... Would you like to come and drink tea at my place? "

Kym blushed with joy when she heard the tone of the policeman radiating in a good mood. 

"I only accept if I have the honor of making tea!"

William agreed after a sigh:

"I owe you this. But this will be the last time my lips will touch anything you've prepared for me."

.・゜゜・

They walked side by side on the snowy sidewalk. Kym left her gaze wandering between the windows of the houses and the snowflakes that fell tirelessly. William's expression of happiness had faded, sometimes he would shake his head to the side as if to chase away an unpleasant thought. Kym hated to see him like this, she looked for a solution, a diversion from which she could help him when her gaze fell on a low wall whose top was covered with a small layer of snow.

She moved discreetly towards it, she extended her hand and took a handful of the winter material to form a spherical shape. Once the snowball had a satisfactory roundness, Kym threw it forcefully at William, her excellent aim allowed the snowball to land on the lieutenant's neck. 

William shouted a cry of surprise and touched his neck to remove the remaining snow that was tickling it. He turned angrily toward Kym who made an innocent face but soon found her face wet from the snow that William had just thrown at her. William rubbed his hands together, proud to have startled her and then war was declared. 

.・゜゜・

Minutes later, they had arrived in William's neighborhood breathless, exhausted and drenched to the bone. William tucked his key into his lock when Kym asked him

"Willame, do you have a Christmas tree at home? "

The young man replied that he did not, so Kym dragged him, once again, by the sleeve and showed him a fir vendor with a side look. Decorating the tree was Josephine's favorite activity, it was her pleasure of the year and the only time she allowed herself a bit of craziness. William didn't know if he would be able to hold back from breaking into tears if he dared to decorate a tree again. But who should he listen between the bitter sobs of the past and the warmth and benevolence of the sun?

.・゜゜・

Kym was arranging the furniture as William passed by and moved the tree, immediately regretting the purchase he had just made. Luckily, the tree was not very big, the top reached to his shoulders, which was quite all right. 

They found a corner where they could place it without any trouble. Kym looked at the tree proudly. 

"Look how beautiful it is! Now all we have to do is decorate it!"

William hesitated, it was the moment he was dreading, he did have some decorations but the memories of her were making too much noise in his mind, he knew for sure he wouldn't last but he didn't care, he knew she would have wanted to see him happy, he was happy for one evening and he wouldn't want to spoil that for anything in the world. 

He left Kym alone for a minute and came back with a dented cardboard box. He put it gently on the floor next to the tree and invited Kym with a friendly wave of hand to look at its contents.   
There was a flashing white light garland that they placed first between the branches of the conifer.

Then they chose transparent balls with silvery spirals that were not too damaged to place on the tree. It was the turn of the false candy canes that Kym wanted to chew in the hope that some of them were real. He sorted through the decorations and came across ten yellow ceramic stars, his throat tightened when he saw that on one of them was written the first name of his dreams and nightmares, the one of his missing brother, his enthusiasm had dissipated, vanished. 

Out of respect for William, Kym did not look at the name on the star but took the other nine ornaments and put one aside. She took a pen and wrote beautifully:  
{I made my paperworks! } 

She showed her masterpiece to William, who wiped his eyes and smiled at her, it was a sincere smile, it really cheered him up. He hung the star on the front of the tree so that it was clearly visible. 

All that remained was a decoration that wasn't too worn out, it was a small varnished wooden grand piano. Every year since he was four years old, it was the decoration that he was in charge of putting on, usually Rafael carried him so that he could place it a few centimeters under the star. With trembling hand he approached it to the fir tree, its weight seemed unpleasantly heavy, heavy with regrets, heavy with torn attachments. 

William stared tirelessly at the piano, which contained many happy moments of his life. He once again blamed himself for having strayed from reality and remarked:

"There is no star at the top... "

Kym was left without answers and then took a small package out of her pocket and said:

"Maybe this will do the trick."

William carefully opened the gift and took out a small glass statuette of an angel. Its hair was translucent blond and its features were awfully familiar. He had already told Kym about her, but how was it possible to redo her face so clearly? Strangely the feeling of pain did not come back, maybe it was because of Kym's tender gaze, maybe it was because of her warm presence, he couldn't tell. He whispered a thank you and placed it on top of the tree. Kym whispered beside him:

"The star is often represented as something that watches over us, so I wanted to give you this. Wherever she is, know that your mother is proud of you. You are not alone William, she is here, I am here, Lauren is here. It's supposed to be a decoration, but you can also display it on a piece of furniture!"

William refrained from hugging her. Did she even know that she was melting him down? Surely not. Did she know how much she brightened his day? Probably not. 

"Actually, Kym, I have something for you too. "

He handed her the cardboard paper that contained what he had asked for from the woodcarver. Kym shouted with joy when she took out the container which was also a Christmas decoration but more particular... It was a piece of wooden that formed a watermelon. Kym lifted it up as if it was a blessing and passed it to her ear as if it was an earring. She ran into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. 

"Yoooo I am so hot"

She took different pauses in front of the mirror while touching her precious gift. William entered and mockingly declared. 

"I'm glad you like it."

Kym turned to him and nodded her head, smiling radiantly. How beautiful she was when she was happy, how beautiful she was when she looked at herself so lovingly in the mirror, how beautiful she was when midnight-colored locks fell in front of her face. 

.・゜゜・

After several games of chess, lively discussions, drying after the snowball fight and after a bergamot tea. Kym began to be drawn into the world of sleep. William wanted to wake her up to take her to his room but she was so peaceful when she was asleep that he hesitated to move her. She seemed as fragile as a bud in the middle of a blizzard, more innocent than any newborn. After a long reflection, he passed his arm through the folds of her knees and raised her shoulders. 

There she was in his arms, he got lost between her perfect complexion and her cheerful mole. Arrived in his room, he put Kym under his sheets with the greatest delicacy he could show. He looked at her again, he had stopped counting, looking at her had become a daily hobby. For the first time in years this Christmas had not been horrible, it had been bearable even pleasant. In spite of the hurricanes of memories he had been able to stay himself and this was thanks to her. She made him crazy but conscious at the same time, she knew how to annoy him and how to make him happy. 

She was able to read him like an open book, she was able to know what to do when sadness came over him. Why was she so gentle and patient with him? She said that the star was seen as a protector, a guardian light in the sky. But in the end, his star, his sun, was her.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my biggest fanfic, I hope you liked the variant of angst and fluff! Thank you very much for taking the time to read!
> 
> Leave a kudo and a comment if you want :) 
> 
> Happy Holidays!!


End file.
